Conference concludes with private audience with Pope Leo XIV
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RFBF President Brian Grim to Participate in Vatican Conference Following Release of Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas
VATICAN CITY — Brian Grim, president of RFBF, will participate this week in the 2026 International Conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation at the Vatican, one of the Holy See’s leading annual gatherings on Catholic social thought, global governance, and ethical leadership.
The conference, held May 28–30 in Rome and Vatican City, brings together Church leaders, diplomats, academics, business executives, and civil society representatives under the theme: “A Fragmented World in Search of Spirituality: Freedom and Pluralism through the Social Doctrine of the Church.”
Read Dr Brian Grim’s comments here
The gathering comes at a significant moment following the release this week of Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses the moral and spiritual challenges facing societies amid growing polarization, technological disruption, democratic instability, and declining social trust. The conference will explore many of the same themes, including religious freedom, peacebuilding, ethical leadership, artificial intelligence, pluralism, and the future of multilateral cooperation.
“As societies across the world confront rising division and institutional distrust, there is an urgent need for frameworks that strengthen human dignity, pluralism, and responsible leadership,” Grim said. “The conference provides an important opportunity for dialogue across faith, civic, academic, and policy communities on how moral and spiritual traditions can contribute constructively to the future of democratic society and global cooperation.”
The conference program includes plenary sessions and working groups focused on Catholic Social Doctrine, reconciliation and peacebuilding, AI and communications ethics, interreligious dialogue, democratic resilience, and the ethical responsibilities of leadership in an increasingly fragmented world.
RFBF’s work in advancing civic dialogue, institutional trust, and responsible engagement across religious, political, and cultural differences closely aligns with many of the themes under discussion during the Vatican gathering.
The conference will conclude Saturday with a Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica and a private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace.